Tufting button



R. C. LANG TUFTING BUTTON' June 1, 1937.

Filed Sept. 10, 1935 R.C.La727 n I I Patented June 1, 1937 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE TUFTING BUTTON Application September 10, 1935, Serial No. 39,968

3 Claims.

This invention relates to buttons and particularly to tufting buttons though the invention is not restricted to this use as it may be applied to buttons of different character.

Ihe object of this invention is to provide a button having two parallel angular bent hookshaped wires constituting the shank of the button, these wires having two opposed upwardly extending bills, the bills crossing each other mid-- way of the length of the bill whereby to provide a re-entrant recess between the extremities of the wires by which a twine, thread, tape or chain may be easily guided into position within the reentrant recess and then be readily slipped upward between the two parallel hooks and then given a quarter turn, thus permanently engaging the twine, tape or chain with the shank of the button.

A further object of the invention is to provide a button which is inexpensive; which is easy of application and in which it is impossible for the twine loop to become disengaged from the shank and in which the twine or tape bears always against surfaces that are smooth, thus preventing undue Wear from friction.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure l is a side elevation of a button having my improved shank.

Figure 2 is a sectional view through a molded button provided with my improved shank portion.

In Figure 1, I have illustrated a button having a head H which may be molded or formed of any suitable material and in which the shank of the button is formed by a single wire it shown in dotted lines as extending into the head of the button, this shank having the two legs Id which extends outward from the head of the button. These two legs or wires l3 are then angularly bent toward the head and away from the corresponding legs and then extend straight toward the button head. It is to be particularly noted that the angular portions it cross each other nearly at right angles and provide a reentrant portion or V-shaped recess I by which the thread or twine D may be guided into place.

In Figure 2, a button made upon the same principle is illustrated, but in which the wires I3 are not connected to each other but the shank is formed of two separate wires angularly bent at their inner ends, as at l9, to secure a firm anchorage within the material of the button head. Otherwise than that, the structure shown in Figure 2 is the same as that shown in Figure 1.

The re-entrant portion or V-shaped recess l5 permits ready engagement of the tape or twine with the shank, as it allows the twine to be pressed inward at the point C in Figure 1, then turned parallel to the outer ends of the hooks, then the twine may be readily pulled upward until it is past the bills of the hooks, then given a quarter of a turn and seated between the bills, as at D. When the twine is once in position, it cannot come out. It will be noted that in inserting the thread or twine into the eye of the shank, the thread is merely quickly guided into place by the large V-shaped recess and then the thread is turned and pulled toward the head and thus the thread has only to pass the point of crossing of the hooks. Inasmuch as these wires are preferably round, the two wires at the point of crossing would only contact very slightly and the thread will be subjected to the least possible frictional contact at the intersection of the hooks. The provision of this re-entrant recess i5 secures the saving of a very considerable amount of time in threading the shanks on these buttons, as when once the thread has been inserted within the re-entrant recess, it requires no delicate manipulation on the part of the worker to carry the thread up into the eye formed on the wires.

While I have illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 button heads which are formed of initially plastic material and in which the shanks are molded into the button head, I do not wish to be limited to this, and it is entirely within the purview of my invention to form the heads in any desired manner. The particular construction of the head is of no moment. It is the particular construction of the shank that is of importance.

In the drawing, the twine, tape or chain loop D is disposed parallel to the hooks I3 and I4 and the twine or tape is slipped upward between the two hooks until it has passed the inner ends of the bills l4 and is then given a quarter turn. The twine tape or chain is then shifted outward to rest in the U-shaped bends of the hooks.

In Figure 1, however, the V-shaped recess formed by the angular bends l4 permits ready engagement of the tape or twine with the shanks as it allows the twine to be pressed in at the point C, then turned parallel to the hooks, thus spreading the hooks apart allowing the twine loop to be readily shifted upward until it is above the bills of the hooks, then given a quarter turn and seated between the bills of the hooks. When once the twine is in this position, it cannot come out. This inability to become accidentally disengaged is equally true of the form of shank illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. The structure shown in Figure 1, however, is preferable over that shown in Figures 1 and 2 because it permits the more ready engagement of the twine, chain or tape with the shank as the recess C guides the twine or tape into place.

It is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited to any particular form of head whether this head be constituted by the wire itself, as in Figures 1 and 2 or whether this head constitutes means for engaging a collet with the shank. It is to be understood that the head might be embedded within a composition button or otherwise engaged with the button head without departing in any manner from the spirit of my invention.

This button is designed to be used as a tufting button on mattresses, upholstery, automobile cushions and in bedding fields, but obviously I do not wish to be limited to this use.

Buttons of the same general character now in use are either provided with closed eyes which require the tape, chain, etc, to be threaded through the eye or with slightly open resilient eyes into which the tape or twine is placed by forcing it through the mouth of the loop. This last construction, however, is open to the objection that the eye may be as readily disengaged from the loop of the shank as it is engaged therewith and there is a liability, therefore, of the button becoming disengaged from the twine, chain or tape.

What is claimed is:

1. A button having a head and a shank formed of a single length of wire, the shank being formed to provide two parallel closely adjacent portions extending at right angles to the plane of the head,

each of said portions extending outward from the head, then being angularly bent transversely and toward the head and then extending directly toward the head, the angular portion of one hook crossing the angular portion of the other hook and the hooks being disposed in opposite directions to thereby provide a re-entrant recess at the crossing of said angular portions whereby to permit the easy insertion of the attaching cord.

2. A button having a head and a shank, the shank being formed to provide two portions of wire extending outwardly from the head in approximately parallel relation with each other and at right angles to the plane of the head, each of said wire portions extending outward from the head, then being angularly bent transversely and then directly toward the head to thus form hooks, the angular portion of one hook crossing the angular portion of the other hook to thereby define a re-entrant recess, the extremity of each hook which extends directly towards the head being disposed in overlapping relation to the shank of the other hook.

3. A button having a head and a shank, the shank being formed of two wires extending outward from the head, each wire at a point remote from the head being angularly bent transversely and then toward the head to form a hook, the hooks being disposed with their bills in opposite directions and the angularly bent portion of one wire crossing the angularly bent portion of the other wire to thereby define a re-entrant recess, the extremity of each hook being disposed in overlapping relation to the body of the other hook.

RUDOLPH C. LANG. 

